Fame hits you square in the face. And before you know it you are a popular household name. I am not talking about Natalie Portman – who you would know by now as the winner of this year’s Oscar for the Best Performance in a Lead Role (Female) for her performance in this movie. I AM however talking about a gentleman who has suddenly gained popularity in Hollywood. His 3rd ballet – The Nutcracker was recently made into a 3D version. And his first one – the haunting Swan Lake – forms an intrinsic part of Black Swan. When are we going to see the movie version of Sleeping Beauty? I am putting my bets on Baz Luhrmann to be the best person to get it onto screen. That would definitely make Tchaikovsky a force to reckon with not just in Hollywood but also in the general music taste of people across the world.
Black Swan is the story of Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) who is in her late twenties and continues to stay with her protective mother Erica (Barbara Hershey), a failed ballet dancer who quit her passion for the art when she conceived Nina. However, her love for Nina and ballet lead her to monitor Nina’s every move. Almost like a guardian angel. Nina has been struggling over the years and is a perfectionist at the art. Nina’s only dream has been to get the lead role in The Swan Queen which is the flagship performance of the troupe. The current star of the show is Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder) who has played the Swan Queen to date and is extremely popular. But all good things come to an end and its time to select the new lead. Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) – pronounced Toma – the owner of the theatre believes that Nina has perfection but doesn’t really have soul in her ballet – as in its not free spirited like the latest addition to the troupe – Lily (Mila Kunis). But Nina is not about to give up so easily and only throws herself even harder into practice. Thomas however lets her know before the final list is put up that he has chosen to go with one of the other dancers – Veronica (Ksenia Solo).
Darren Aronofsky is known for his previous works as the trailer proudly proclaims – A Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler (Mickey Rourke’s last attempt at an Oscar). But this one would probably be his best to date. Aronofsky converts a harmless sort of a fairy tale with equally harmless music into one that is not only dark but also eerie in parts and the music of Tchaikovsky suddenly starts sounding like it is from a horror flick. He also leaves a lot to the audience’s imagination and keeps the pace up throughout the movie. The cinematography coupled with the right cuts at the right places make Black Swan a complete treat to watch. An amazing talent we have here in the form of Aronofsky.
Coming to the acting part, I thought both Vincent Cassel deserved at least a nomination for this part. And Mila Kunis!!!! What happened to her??? She was that brainless bimbette last seen in That Seventies Show. Seems like Miss Kunis has come a long long way. I would not know both Cassel and Kunis performed better than the winners of the Oscar this year in the supporting role category but I am hoping to be able to reach a decision in a few hours from now. Natalie Portman’s execution of The Swan Queen deservedly got her the Oscar. Whether the talent was always there to be seen but not utilized to date is something only time will tell.
To me, the highlight of the movie was the metamorphosis of the White Swan into the Black Swan which is built up slowly but surely and explodes on screen towards the end. An exceptional movie to say the least. Wonder why people are not too excited about it. I completely loved it. As good as The King’s Speech if not better. The mystery surrounding the Oscars continues. 8.5 on 10 for The Black Swan. DON’T MISS IT!!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3985807385/
Black Swan is the story of Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) who is in her late twenties and continues to stay with her protective mother Erica (Barbara Hershey), a failed ballet dancer who quit her passion for the art when she conceived Nina. However, her love for Nina and ballet lead her to monitor Nina’s every move. Almost like a guardian angel. Nina has been struggling over the years and is a perfectionist at the art. Nina’s only dream has been to get the lead role in The Swan Queen which is the flagship performance of the troupe. The current star of the show is Beth Macintyre (Winona Ryder) who has played the Swan Queen to date and is extremely popular. But all good things come to an end and its time to select the new lead. Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) – pronounced Toma – the owner of the theatre believes that Nina has perfection but doesn’t really have soul in her ballet – as in its not free spirited like the latest addition to the troupe – Lily (Mila Kunis). But Nina is not about to give up so easily and only throws herself even harder into practice. Thomas however lets her know before the final list is put up that he has chosen to go with one of the other dancers – Veronica (Ksenia Solo).
Darren Aronofsky is known for his previous works as the trailer proudly proclaims – A Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler (Mickey Rourke’s last attempt at an Oscar). But this one would probably be his best to date. Aronofsky converts a harmless sort of a fairy tale with equally harmless music into one that is not only dark but also eerie in parts and the music of Tchaikovsky suddenly starts sounding like it is from a horror flick. He also leaves a lot to the audience’s imagination and keeps the pace up throughout the movie. The cinematography coupled with the right cuts at the right places make Black Swan a complete treat to watch. An amazing talent we have here in the form of Aronofsky.
Coming to the acting part, I thought both Vincent Cassel deserved at least a nomination for this part. And Mila Kunis!!!! What happened to her??? She was that brainless bimbette last seen in That Seventies Show. Seems like Miss Kunis has come a long long way. I would not know both Cassel and Kunis performed better than the winners of the Oscar this year in the supporting role category but I am hoping to be able to reach a decision in a few hours from now. Natalie Portman’s execution of The Swan Queen deservedly got her the Oscar. Whether the talent was always there to be seen but not utilized to date is something only time will tell.
To me, the highlight of the movie was the metamorphosis of the White Swan into the Black Swan which is built up slowly but surely and explodes on screen towards the end. An exceptional movie to say the least. Wonder why people are not too excited about it. I completely loved it. As good as The King’s Speech if not better. The mystery surrounding the Oscars continues. 8.5 on 10 for The Black Swan. DON’T MISS IT!!!!
Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3985807385/
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